- Tool aims to replace paid consultants as more than 10 million students prepare annual university applications
- System combines exam data, preference tracking and real-time recommendation adjustments
Alibaba’s Qwen unit has launched China’s first full-cycle AI agent for university entrance exam admissions planning, offering free guidance to more than 10 million gaokao candidates nationwide.
Released on June 10, the agent is built on Qwen’s admissions model and Quark’s eight years of gaokao data experience. Quark is an Alibaba-owned AI-enhanced mobile browser and content platform.
The system combines three functions: generating admissions reports, planning application timelines, and answering interactive Q&A queries.
Replacing consultants
Each year, over 10 million students take the grueling gaokao in China, but fewer than 5% of families hire professional consultants, who typically charge more than 5,000 yuan ($737).
Some high-profile consultants, including the late tutor-turned-education influencer Zhang Xuefeng, built businesses around such services.
“Qwen aims to provide every student with a free AI admissions expert,” said Zheng Sisong, product lead at Qwen’s education unit.
The agent‘s “admissions calendar” breaks the process into steps tied to provincial timelines, guiding students through score estimation, self-assessment, and school selection.
Customized admissions report
After entering subject choices and predicted scores, students receive a personalized timeline and a customized admissions report covering dozens of school and major combinations that can be submitted directly to official systems.
Admissions planning normally happens after the gaokao, once students know their predicted scores. Families then compare universities, evaluate majors, and rank choices—a process the AI agent now automates and guides in real time.
The Q&A function answers questions such as converting local exam rankings to national equivalents and interpreting school or major information.
The knowledge base covers nearly 3,000 universities and over 2,000 majors, including official admissions data, transfer policies, and student feedback.
Expanding accessibility
Last year, Alibaba introduced AI-generated admissions reports used by nearly 13 million students.
This year’s upgrade adds three key features: the agent now accounts for nuanced preferences like social fit and distance from home, integrates employment prospects and civil service data, allows students to adjust recommendations in real time, and flags overly scattered plans to prompt refinement.
The engineering team has also optimized the system for low-end devices and weak network conditions, aiming to improve accessibility for rural users and parents.
Qwen said it will continue expanding support services for students in remote regions.
